Photo display device



p 1966 w. J. ROBBIE 3,270,449

PHOTO DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 1, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WALTER J. ROB6I BY #7742! INVENTOR.

W. J. ROBBIE PHOTO DISPLAY DEVICE Sept. 6, .1966

Filed Sept. 1, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WALTER J. ROBBIE Sept. 6, 1966 w. J. ROBBIE PHOTO DISPLAY DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 1, 1964 INVENTOR. WALTER J.ROBB/E 6 BY 4-7Lnai ado-e217 s United States Patent 3,270,449 PHOTO DISPLAY DEVICE Walter J. Robbie, Pittsfield, Mass., assignor to Eaton Paper Corporation, Pittsfield, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 393,631 5 Claims. (Cl. 40--102) This invention relates to holders and display for pictures, photographs and the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a dual purpose carrying case and display stand for phot-ographs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a combination case and stand for photographs capable of displaying simultaneously a plurality of photographs.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a case which is the nature of a wallet or pass case which devices can be readily carried in the pocket or purse and which can be quickly and easily set up as a stand on a desk, bureau or the like. When so set up the stand attractive- 1y displays two photos at the same time and in such a manner that other pairs of photos can be successively displayed.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from the follow- FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the picture holder with portions cut away;

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the picture holder; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing separately a portion of the holder.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 is shown a picture holder 2 embodying this invention. The picture holder is generally in the form of a wallet or case comprising three panels 4, 6 and 8 hinged together in end to end relationship. As shown, the panel 6 is the center panel of the case and the panels 4 and 8 are hingedly connected as at 10 and 12 to the opposite edges of the panel 6. With this construction, the panels can be folded together in overlapping coextensive relation as shown in FIG. 1, or swung to a generally triangular relationship forming a support stand as shown in FIG. 2.

The case may 'be constructed in any suitable manner, such as by encasing stiffeners 14 of relatively rigid sheet stock, such as cardboard or plastic, as shown in FIG. 4, within a flexible plastic or leather covering 16. The plastic or leather may be in various finishes and colors to provide a decorative case and display stand. The peripheral edges of the covering material and the dividing hinge portions between the stiifeners, are joined together by any suitable means, such as welding or heat sealing, where a thermoplastic is used.

Disposed within the case are picture holders 20. These holders are in the form of a pack of envelopes bound together along one edge by binder elements 22 which may be of any type of binding, and as shown :are in the form of rings or spirals. Each of the envelopes comprises a reversely folded transparent sheet material 24 (FIG. 2), such as cellophane, Mylar or any other suitable material. Perforati-ons 26 are provided in the opposite ends of sheets 24 for receiving the binder ring eleice er sheet 27 is disposed between the two portions of each transparent sheet 24. The upper edge of the backer sheet is also perforated for receiving the ring elements 22. The sheet 27 serves as stiffener for the envelopes so as to prevent damage to the photos disposed therein. In addition, the backer sheets may be formed of fibrous material tending to frictionally retain the photos in a ,selected position in the envelopes, thus preventing the photos from shifting between the plastic cover sheets. In addition, the backer sheets provide a border or frame for attractive display of photos or pictures.

A flap 30 (FIG. 7) extends from the bound edge of the envelope pack providing means for retaining or mounting the pack of display envelopes in the case. The flap 30 is generally T shaped, its stem portion fits into a pocket 32 (FIGS. 2 and 5) provided in the wall of panel 4 of the picture holder. By simply inserting the stem portion of flap 30 into the pocket 32, the display envelopes are aifixed to the case both for display and carrying purposes, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. If it is desired to more permanently attach the display packet to the case a suitable adhesive may be applied to the flap 30 before it is inserted in the pocket 32.

The panel 8 includes means, interengageable witlr panel 4, for retaining the same in an upstanding position bead 34 serves as a stop for the panel 4 whereby the three panels are retained in the triangular relationship shown in FIG. 2. As shown, the three panels, making up the case, are approximately the same size, and thus form approximately an equilateral triangle when disposed in display relationship. Panel 4 is thus inclined from the vertical at an angle of about 45 whereby two pictures may be displayed at the same time as deescribed below.

Means is provided so that pairs of picture display envelopes may be disposed in generally coplanar relation with each of the envelopes extending in opposite directions from the binder elements 22. As shown, the support means comprises a tab 36 slidably disposed in pocket 32 of panel 4. Not only can two photos be simultaneously displayed and viewed but successive pairs of pictures may be displayed by simply swinging the next succeeding photograph from one side to the other of the binder elements, each envelope carrying two photographs, one on each side of the backer sheet 27. The versatility of this display case is shown by referring to FIG. 2, in which only one envelope extends upwardly from the bound edge, while in FIG. 3 all, except one. are disposed upwardly.

As shown, the picture support element comprises a tab 36 slidably disposed in pocket 32 of the panel 4. The tab is formed of a relatively stiff sheet material and may be plastic, cardboard or the like. The tab is generally T shaped, the cross portion 38, on the lower end of the tab, serves to prevent the tab being pulled from the pocket 32. A band 40 is secured to the inside surface of the covering material 16 of panel 4 adjacent the edge of pocket 32. The length of the tab is such that it can be inserted into the pocket 32 so as to leave only a small portion extending above the edge thereof. In this position the tab is wholly coextensive with the panel 4 enabling the panels to be folded together, as shown in FIG. 1, to form a compact carrying case. In addition, the tab can be pulled outwardly from the pocket, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, whereby it extends a substantial distance a above the upper edge of the panels 4 and 6, forming the apex of the triangular display stand. The tab 36 thus forms, in effect, an extension of the panel 4 for supporting one or more display envelopes in upwardly extending relation from the bound edge of the pack 20 and in generally coplanar relationship with the remaining envelopes which depend from the ring elements. Moreover, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, any number of envelopes can be disposed upwardly and downwardly from the binder rings 22 whereby any two adjacent pictures can be displayed simultaneously.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A picture display case comprising a plurality of panels hinged together to be selectively folded into superposed relation and to be disposed in oblique angular relationship in an upright position on a supporting surface, a plurality of picture holders disposed on one of said panels and hinged for swinging movement through an upright arc, and a support tab slidable from a position coextensive with the said one panel to a position extending beyond the upper edge thereof and in the path of said arc, whereby two of said picture holders may be simultaneously supported in display position.

2. Picture display case comprising at least three panels hinged in end to end relation and foldable into overlapping relation and to mutually triangular relationship, at least one of the end panels being provided with means engageable with the free edge of the opposite end panel for retaining said edges in abutting relationship with said panels disposed in said triangular relationship with the apex thereof disposed upwardly, a support tab slidably carried by one of the upright panels of the triangle, and slidable to a position extending beyond the apex of the triangle formed by said panels, a plurality of picture display envelopes bound together at one edge and carried on the outer surface of one of the upright panels with its bound edge generally parallel to the apex of the triangle formed by said panels, said envelopes being swingable about the bound edge whereby any two adjacent envelopes may be simultaneously supported in upright relation extending in opposite directions from said bound edge.

3. Picture display case comprising a plurality of panels generally the same size hinged together in end to end relation, the outer edge of one of said panels including a bead which serves as a stop to maintain said panels in mutually triangular relationship with the apex thereof disposed upwardly, a pocket formed in the outer surface of one of the upright panels of the triangle, a bound pack of picture display envelopes supported on said outer surface with the bound edge thereof disposed adjacent the apex edge of the triangle, a support tab slidably carried in said pocket and movable from a position coextensive with the said one upright panel to a position extending substantially above said apex and in generally coplanar relation with the outer surface of said one upright panel, where-by any two adjacent envelopes in the bound pack of picture display envelopes may be disposed in coplanar relation and extending in opposite directions from the bound edge of said pack.

4. Picture display case as set forth in claim 3 in which said envelopes are each formed of a reversely folded transparent sheet material bound together at the ends thereof and at the side edges for insertion and removal of pietures.

5. Picture display case as set forth in claim 4 in which each of said envelopes includes a sheet of paper disposed between the reversely folded portions of transparent material and bound together with ends of said transparent material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,577,697 3/1926 Douglas 281-33 2,516,809 7/1850 Soderberg 28133 2,523,202 9/1950 Ericson 28133 2,783,061 2/1957 Owen 281-33 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PICTURE DISPLAY CASE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PANELS HINGED TO BE SELECTIVELY FOLDED INTO SUPPERPOSED RELATION AND TO BE DISPOSED IN OBLIQUE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF PICTURE HOLDERS DISPOSED ON ONE OF SAID PANELS AND HINGED FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT THROUGH AN UPRIGHT ARC, AND A SUPPORT TAB SLIDABLE FROM A POSITION COEXTENSIVE WITH THE SAID ONE PANEL TO A POSITION EXTENDING BEYOND THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF AND IN THE PATH OF SAID ARC, WHEREBY TWO OF SAID PICTURE HOLDERS MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORTED IN DISPLAY POSITION. 